


Repeat

by GerardStreet



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Curse Breaking, Curses, Death, Demons, Fire, Gen, Ghosts, Hospitals, Illnesses, Souls, Spirits, Temporary Character Death, Violence, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7657348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GerardStreet/pseuds/GerardStreet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank always repearts his last day - the day he died by the hand of a maddened doctor. </p><p>Gerard always watches Frank die, until one day, after several decades, he's fed up with it and breaks the routine. </p><p>The consequences of his actions are bigger than anyone would have imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> First of all, thanks for reading!  
> Second, the story may seem a bit repetitive, but it's on purpose, as the first 8k or so is kind of a prologue, but it does have important parts.  
> Third, english is not my first language, so sorry in advance for any mistakes.
> 
> Have a nice day!

##  Part One

#  Monday

Frank woke up to a killer stomachache on a gloomy Monday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his arm, walked to his bathroom, one hand resting on his stomach, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills to his stomachache, he picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen.

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

He pushed his foot into his boots and, picking up his keys, went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain in the stomach, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Tuesday

Frank woke up to a killer headache on a gloomy Tuesday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his belly, walked to his bathroom, one hand resting on his forehead, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills to his headache, picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen.

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

He pushed his foot into his boots and, picking up his keys, went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain in the center of his forehead, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Wednesday

Frank woke up to a killer pain in his back on a gloomy Wednesday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his head, walked to his bathroom, one hand resting on the small of his back, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills to his aching spine, picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen. 

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

He pushed his foot into his boots and, picking up his keys, went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain in the spine, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Thursday

Frank woke up to a killer pain in his legs on a gloomy Thursday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his back, walked to his bathroom, one hand resting on his tight, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills to his legs, picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen. 

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

He pushed his foot into his boots and, picking up his keys, went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick.  After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain in his legs, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Friday

Frank woke up to a killer pain in his arms on a gloomy Friday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his tight, walked to his bathroom, one hand resting on his forearm, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills to his arms, picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen. 

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

Pushing his foot into his boots, he was hit with a sense of dèja vu, as if he had done this several times already. Shaking the feeling off, he picked up his keys and went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. Frank was hit with dèja vu once again. After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain in his arms, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Saturday

Frank woke up to a killer itching all over his skin on a gloomy Saturday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his forearm, walked to his bathroom, willing the itch away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen. 

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

Pushing his foot into his boots, he was hit with a sense of dèja vu, as if he had done this several times already. Shaking the feeling off, he picked up his keys and went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. Frank was hit with dèja vu once again after mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Sunday

Frank woke up to a killer pain all over his body on a gloomy Sunday morning.

„I swear, one of these will be the death of me...” he groaned as he rolled over and sat up in his bed, pushing his duvet away. He stood up slowly and, scratching his neck, walked to his bathroom, willing the pain away.

After finishing a short and cold shower, because the boiler was acting up, again, and the landlord was too lazy and an ass to do anything about it. He quickly brushed his teeth and got a few pills, picked up the closest pants and shirt along with a hoodie and walked out into the small but clean kitchen. 

Looking around the ugly, yellow cupboards, he came up with old and soggy cereal and some moldy toast bread. Throwing both into the trashcan, he headed to the front door, therefore the outside world to get something edible.

Pushing his foot into his boots, he was hit with a sense of dèja vu, as if he had done this several times already. Shaking the feeling off, he picked up his keys and went out.

Trotting down the stained stairs, as the elevator was broken once again, he almost head-butted one of his neighbours, a mousy haired man with a strong resemblance of a toothpick. Frank was hit with dèja vu once again. After mumbling a quick "Sorry!", both men were once again on their way.

As Frank reached the glass doors of his apartment complex, he was hit by a strong wave of pain all over his whole body, so strong that he immediately passed out from it, right in front of the door.

#  Interlude 1

Two shadows were sitting in a dark cemetery under a century old oak tree.

„Tell me, do you enjoy it? Playing with him? Making him relive his last day?” asked the thinner one. Their voice was dead.

„I do, you know I do.” said the one with the flames in their heart and voice resembling that of the noise of a burning building.

„...yes, I do. What I don't know is why? Why do you do that?”

There was silence for a time – how long, neither of the shadows were sure of.

„...that is, brother, an excellent question.” said the now burning one, before the flames became too big for the thin one to be near and they had to move away, closer to a tombstone, where they disappeared.

The fire burned for the entirely of the night, but as the first ray of the Sun reached it, it died out as suddenly as it started with a high, pained scream.

#  January

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a stomachache. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing another, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  February

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a problem with my kidneys. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  March

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a headache. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  April

 An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a small problem with my lungs. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  May

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a strong pain in my spine. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  June

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had some problems with my eyes. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  July

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a bit of a pain in my legs. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  August

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a sore throat. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  September

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had some pain in my arms. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  October

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had a problem with my heart. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  November

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I had an awful itch all over my skin. I took some allergy pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

#  December

An ambulance was called by a neighbour who tried to exit the complex, and Frank was taken into the nearest hospital by a strange ambulance car.

He was unconscious for a few hours, but woke up when a nurse with fire red hair injected something into his IV.

He looked around, still high from the meds he got, so he didn’t really get surprised by the unnatural colour of the walls and floor, or the morbid pictures, detailing dying or suffering people on the walls.

A doctor was called into his room soon after the nurse noticed he opened his eyes.

 „Do you remember anything? Why did you pass out? Have you done something out of the ordinary?” Frank was asked as the doctor, a young man with blonde hair and an easy smile flashed a light into his eyes. The questions and the examination was mostly just for the show, as both the doctor and the nurse knew already what will happen to him.

„I...I felt pain everywhere. I took some pills, then I went to get something to eat. That's...that's all.” he answered with a heavy tongue and a heavier mind. The doctor only 'hmm'ed and took a syringe out of his pocket, which he pushed into Frank's IV bag.

„This will help you sleep, Mr.” he said, flashing an other, more fake this time, smile to his general direction.

Frank was about to ask him something, but his eyelids felt like they weighted a thousand pounds and he slid into a peaceful sleep soon.

 

#  Interlude 2

The next night, they were there again, just like the night prior, since decades, without missing a single night. The thin one with the dead voice was who broke the silence, as usual.

„I haven’t met him, you know? Never. Not in his home, not in the camp, not in the hospital, not in the morgue. There’s no place where I ever met him.”

The other, whose fire was exhausted now, was just sitting in silence, thinking about what the other said. After a long while, he spoke.

„Neither have I. Although I did follow him around at all the places, I’ve never met him again there. As he’d never existed in the first place.”

They haven’t said out loud one thought they both had: _he never did exist, not after what was done to him._

 

#  1941

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of something unidentified. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his neck. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This…something…really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  1951

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of rash all over your skin. We don’t know the cause of it, so. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his neck. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This…something… really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  1961

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious heart attack. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel over his heart. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This…something…really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  1971

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of cancer in your legs. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks? Before we start the chemotherapy.” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his thigh. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This ...something... really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  1981

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious deformation of your spine. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his neck. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This ...something... really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  Interlude 3

For a while, the shadows didn’t meet at the old oak tree, in the heart of the cemetery as they had better and more important things to do. The next time they did meet occurred three months, two weeks and four days later.

The thin one was uninjured save a missing part, somewhere around a normal person’s left ankle. On the contrary, the one with the voice of a burning building was missing several parts and even their fire.

„What the Hell happened to you, you idiot?!” suddenly, the thin one didn’t have a voice only suitable for something dead for a long time.

„Exactly the Hell happened to me. They didn’t like my way…the reliving thing. They wanted him to die, for one and all. I…I can’t let him die.” the last part was nothing but a whisper.

„Why not? Why do you have such a strong connection to him? Why can’t you let him die in peace? Why do you have to make him relive his last day?” the thin one was shouting now. The other, now without their fire, slowly curled into a little ball of shadow and murmured something only the thin one could hear.

They freeze from that short sentence.

 

#  1991

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of cancer attacking your lungs. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel over his left lung. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This ...something... really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  Interlude 4

The dirt under the now fireless one opened up and they fell without a sound.

 

#  2001

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of stroke, causing the headache. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his forehead. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This ...something... really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  Interlude 5

The thin one stayed in the cemetery for years, under the old oak tree. People seeing them, the shadow of a man long dead, were afraid. Priests were called, exorcisms were arranged, but the thin shadow remained unmoving, muttering that one fatal sentence.

 

#  2011

Next time Frank woke up, it was to the beeping of a heart rate monitor. A female and a male nurse stood on both sides of his bed, the man taking notes, the woman just staring at him. The man had a surgeon mask on him, and the woman was the redhead from earlier.

When the door opened and the doctor came in, with a heavy looking suitcase in his hand, both nurses turned around and marched right out of the room. The doctor sat down next to Frank's bed in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put the case next to the bedside drawer.

„Well, Mr., it looks like you've got a serious case of stomach bugs. It'd be for the best to stay here for, let's see...two, three weeks?” the doctor lied, taking Frank’s mind off of the suitcase.

Frank tried to respond, still under the influence of whatever medication he got, but then he realised he was gagged and strapped to the bed. He started struggling but with no luck, he had no hope to escape.

„That's how I thought so.” chucked the doctor and moved to open the suitcase. Frank was just able to make out something glistening and metal. When the doctor was finished looking around in it, he reached in and picked something small out. As he turned around, Frank saw he was holding a small scalpel.

He then moved to Frank and slowly put the scalpel to his stomach. Frank tried to scream, but the gag in his mouth stopped him.

 _'This ...something... really is the death of me...'_ was his last conscious thought as the scalpel tore through skin, tissue and bone, leaving a bloody mess in its wake.

 

#  Interlude 6

**_„I love Frank.”_ **

 

_The end of Part one_


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: blood, gore, death, all that fun stuff, tho not that graphic

It was a nice Sunday morning when the town burned to the ground.

 

The fire started in the Old Cemetery, to be more precise, under the old oak tree the locals avoided at all costs as they said there was a malicious ghost. It was not true at all – the ghost wasn’t a ghost but a demon, and he wasn’t _that_ malicious. The stray possessing people here and there, of course, but he didn’t kill people. On purpose. Because, well, accidents happen, but no one died on purpose. That often, that is.

 

It all started with a little spark from a hole in the ground, and the dry glass just caught on fire, then the trees, then the church, and so on, until the whole town was on fire. Extinguishing the fire was out of the question, as the fire department exploded before the firemen even had the chance to get into the firetrucks, thanks to a little gasleak and a careless smoker.

 

The first dying were the folks in the church – they were so occupied with worshipping some deity they didn’t even notice when the drapes on the walls of the church caught on fire. When they finally come to their senses, it was too late – the rosewood door was on fire, and the windows were situated too high and were too small to escape through. Really, this is the only downside of the roman church, the small windows, they are not suitable when hellfire is lit.

 

Next came the families sleeping in, mindless to the fire eating their homes – made from wood, of course, making the fire’s spreading all the easier. Then it was the electrical wires’ turn to burn, resulting in electrical shocks whenever someone as much as touched something electrical – which was quite common, as everyone tried to  call someone to help, but they all died as soon as they picked up the landline or their mobiles plugged in to charge.

 

The block of flats and apartment complexes, when the fire reached them, would have been able to withstand it – except it was hellfire, not your ordinary campfire. So the buildings collapsed, burying hundreds under their debris.

 

So, as the town had no chance to survive, the locals packed what they could – mostly money, goddamned jewels and, if they still had place, the kids – and fled the place, starting over again in Mexico, New Orleans and Dublin. The few unlucky without a mean of transportation could choose how they wanted to die – by jumping off the cliff the town was built, or drowning in the river which was the border on the other three sides. Frankly, the peeps who decided they wanted to build a town here were out of their minds, that is, if they were able to escape their homes – the cliff was at least a hundred feet tall straight wall of dirt, and the river was too deep, too wide and too fast for the mere human kind to cross.

 

But the frenzied escaping came to a sudden halt when all of the three bridges they could leave the town through collapsed from the sudden weight almost at the same time, stopping the running away.

 

Long story short – out of the 10,598 inhabitants, 7,359 died there and then, and the remaining few thousand would soon follow them as they suffered serious injuries while trying to escape or if they did flee uninjured, their minds would give up on them and they would finally commit suicide soon.

 

And the shadow which was burning long before the human kind was born emerged from the ashes of an old oak tree.

 

***

„Long time no see, brother. Did you enjoy that little show?” asked the shadow with the heart on fire. The other, the memory of a man long dead, just sighed and, squeezing the bridge of his nose, shook his head.

 

„Was it necessary? To kill the whole town?” he asked. The other gave him no mind as they – he – started to work on their appearance. _His_ appearance.

 

„No, it wasn’t, but only one destroyed building would look suspicious, don’t you think, little brother?” asked the now black haired man in a hot pink swimming suit from the 1890’s. „Is this…form of clothing acceptable nowadays?” he asked, frowning down on himself.

 

„No, not really, I think, _brother._ How on Earth did you came up with it, anyway?” asked the memory of a man long dead, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

„It was in the memories of that soul” pointed the now very alive man towards a burned tombstone. „Should I try with someone else?”

 

„Yes, that would be a good idea. _Brother dear._ ”

 

So the now very alive man tried a different soul – now a young one, a teen, from the debris of the church, resulting in a black three piece suit and a white button up shirt.

 

„Better. Now, what’s the plan now that everyone in a 50 mile radius is dead but us?” asked the memory of a man long dead, now coming alive, wearing the same clothes he was buried in – a black, elegant version of a suit from the times before huge empires had born, a sword on his side.

 

„Now, we wait until Frank comes back.”

 

***

Frank woke up in a pile of debris and ash on a gloomy Monday morning.

 

When he first opened his eyes, the Sun nearly blinded his, so, with an arm casting shadows across his eyes, he sat up. The next time he opened his eyes – to blink and look around him, taking in the destruction all around – he heard a light cough. He looked at the direction of the cough so quick he almost broke his neck, which would have been unlucky, to be honest.

 

In front of him stood two, now very alive man – one in a modern and one in really old clothes, looking similar to a black suit. The one in the modern suit had wavy, shoulder length black hair and eyes resembling burning coal, while the man in the really old suit looked…old. Not because of gray hair or wrinkles, he had very nice light brown hair and eyes the colour of new leaves, in any other situation he would have looked no more than twenty, but his whole appearance made him look ancient. His eyes, hence their colour, looked like they saw the rise and death of too many empires and kings.

 

Frank instantly felt drawn to both of them. So, it wasn’t really a surprise when he finally stood up and, on shaky legs, went over to the two, now very alive and very anxious men.

 

“Ge…Gerard?” he said the name in an unsure, but, at the same time, sure as all Hells way. The black haired with eyes of burning coal took a deep breath and, slowly, nodded, a shadow of a small smile playing on his lips. Frank nodded too, satisfied that his dreams weren’t just dreams.

 

Then he punched the man with fire burning in him, named just now Gerard.

 

Then he fell to his knees, screaming in horror as his hand, which not too long ago, came in contact with Gerard’s jaw, was now burning, the flesh melting and dripping like candle wax from the bones which were turning black.

 

“Oh, shit, shit, fuck, damn, shit, motherfucking fuckity fuck, Hell…” Frank’s little speech was only interrupted by the now very alive man long dead, who stepped close to him, and, kneeling down, took his burning hand in his. Without a word, he started to touch the flames – which instantly died out – and, like it was clay, shaped the molten flesh into a hand again. Frank watched the whole ordeal with huge eyes and with a mind overflowing with memories from an other life – from other lives.

 

And while this happened with the two of them, Gerard, with the eyes of burning coal, just stood where he was, one hand on his jaw where Frank punched him, a bewildered look on his face.

 

***

After the incident with his hand, Frank was, to put it simply, in shock. First he started shaking, them crying, and when he finally calmed down, he _calmed down_ and sat without any kind of movement, hugging his knees and staring straight ahead. The two once dead, now very alive men could do nothing with him to get him to move, or at least, acknowledge their presentence.

 

“We should not leave him here” said the man who once was just a memory of a life. The man with the eyes resembling burning coal and a heart slowly but surely getting cold, just nodded, but made no move to get Frank to stand up, or, at least look up to them. The now very alive memory of a man sighed, cracked his knuckles and stepped next to Frank, putting a hand on his shoulder. When he got no reaction, he simply put one arm under his knees the other behind his back, and lifted him up.

 

“Ready to go, _brother dear_?”

The burning, but slowly cooling man just looked at the other and turned on his heels, heading towards the remains of the gates of the cemetery, the now very alive memory of a man, carrying Frank, following him, though the cemetery, then the destroyed city.

 

***

 

Frank was still unresponsive when they stopped at one of the bridges once crossing the river but now laying in it in pieces. The man with eyes of burning coal stood near the edge and, as he stared at the pieces of the bridge, it started to rebuild itself, as if the man was turning back time. Only the work wasn’t flawless: the bridge now standing was just the skeleton of the once proud cement and steel creature. Paying no mind to the fact the structure was just a weak memory of its former glory, the two now very alive men crossed the river, while the skeleton of the bridge collapsed after them.

 

After an unknown amount of time, it seemed they finally reached their destination: the nearest city, where most of the refugees of the other town headed. They have seen some of them on their way here, too: mostly sporting serious wounds and sitting on the side of the road, crying, screaming, begging for help they knew will never come and they will die there, alone, on the side of the road just like some morbid road kill, just because a soul, burning since long before humanity rose was in a mood of showing off, hence his slow loss of heat.

 

The now very alive memory of a man just stared straight ahead as he carried Frank, while his brother, with the eyes of burning coal, skipped ahead just to stop before every one of the wounded and to touch them, setting them on fire, or doing the work without flames and just melting the flesh off their bones.

 

After a while, the now alive man got tired of the increasing volume of the screaming and stopped, making the other, with the burning heart, to stop, too. “Why do you enjoy making people suffer this much, Gerard?” he asked, in a low voice used by mothers mostly, who know their children is a monster but they love them anyway.

 

The man with burning heart lost his smile, and looked down, to the dirt of the road, soiled with blood, molten flesh, oil, and other substances he did not want to think about too much.

 

“You know it’s not me, not _really_ me who enjoys making people scream in agony, Mikes. But **HE** is strong, too strong, and it takes so much out of me when I try to stop him, or just make him do less wrong.” as he spoke, his eyes, which were resembling burning coal most of the time, switched to ones waking the memories of ancient forests in springtime, when the spring flew happily, moss covered the rocks and everything was much more simple. But these eyes were out in the open for moments: the burning ate them, giving an evil overtone to the man’s otherwise kind face. After the burning overtook everything in him, he scowled and the remaining victims of his earlier show suddenly burst into flames as he turned away from the now very alive man.

 

They spoke no more until they reached the city and found the place they were looking for: and old apartment complex near the main road but far from the buzzing center of the city.

 

They let themselves in, and started climbing up on the stairs. When they reached the top floor, the man with fire slowly but surely dying out in him knocked on the only door on this floor. After an uncomfortable amount of time, the door opened, revealing a man with an impressive halo of hair and a friendly, _too friendly_ face.

 

“Mikey, Gerard, what a surprise!” he exclaimed in a too cheery voice, saying the names but _not_ saying them in a language that was audible for the mere human kind, as it was too ancient, from before humanity rose. “I haven’t seen you two in ages! And who is this?” he pointed to Frank, who was still like a ragdoll.

 

“Raymond, we need a place to hide” said the man with dying fire in him, using the same language when it came to the friendly man’s name as the man himself used, and with this, forced his way into the apartment and disappearing in one of the rooms further in. The now very alive memory of a man, Mikey, waited for Raymond to move away and he too, stepped over the threshold and into the apartment, Raymond closing the door behind him and securing it with at least a dozen different locks.

 

While their host was occupied with his locks, Mikey put Frank down to the couch, where he sat like he did in the cemetery: hugging his knees and staring straight ahead. Mikey just watched him silently until Raymond came into the room, stopping next to him.

 

“He’s not human.” Raymond stated, and suddenly, his _just too friendly_ face changed – changed back into his real one, the one he does not show to regular humans: wide features and flesh looking a little bit too big on his bones, like his skeleton was just a few sizes too small for the skin and flesh covering it. His halo of hair changed too, from warm brown to the colour of rotting leaves and decay. His eyes, which had been warm and welcoming previously, become dull and cold, while his teeth showed their true shapes too – small and sharp.

 

“No, he’s not. But, at the same time, he is, on a certain level – he’s still closer to being human than not.” Mikey answered. To this, Raymond got a hungry look on his face, mouth open a bit and staring straight at Frank, who still sat unmoving. “Don’t you ever think of eating him, Raymond.” said Mikey, in the voice of the man once alive, who had lead gigantic armies against forces unknown. “He is Gerard’s. You don’t want to piss Gerard off.”

 

At this last sentence, Gerard walked out of the back room, holding what looked like a thigh bone marked with teeth marks.

 

“Female, white with blonde hair, single, working as a secretary at a private clinic” he stated, eyes looking dull, like freshly mined coal and the green poking out from time to time.

 

“You could tell this from just that?” asked Mikey surprised, looking more and more alive with the minutes passing – his brother was never good with people, be them from this world or the other, dead or alive, and especially with telling apart their bones.

 

“No. I could tell it from the body missing one leg and lots of blood.” Gerard answered, eyes getting back their burning coal like look, staring at Raymond without blinking. When he stepped closer, Raymond took a step backwards, lifting his palm in front of himself.

 

“Man, calm down, I gotta eat something…” he started to explain, but suddenly, the bone was flying towards his head, and before he could duck, it collided with his face, breaking bones and sending him backwards into the wall. The body slumped down, while a form looking just like Raymond, but so much more rotten and ominous looking, remained standing, letting out a tired sigh. “…I was just getting to love this body…”

 

Mikey was staring at his brother. “What good did it do?” he almost shouted.

 

Gerard, who was now walking closer to Frank, who did not notice anything from the previous events and sat the same, once he reached him, looked finally back at Mikey. “So he does not have even the chance to try and attack him.”

 

***

 

After they dragged away the body that once Raymond was – or was in -, they sat down around Frank, who now laid on the couch, sleeping, or, at least, with closed eyes.

 

“What happened?” Raymond asked the brothers, levitating over the armchair.

 

“He remembered when he woke up this morning in the ashes of that damned town – Gerard dear burned it down and somehow got his body into the cemetery before it was buried under the collapsing buildings. Then he punched Gerard and his hand melted off, and he went into a shock when I healed it for him” the answer was delivered by a now almost fully alive looking Mikey. Raymond hummed and looked at Gerard, who was staring at Frank’s slowly rising and falling chest.

 

“Why did you melt his hand off?” he asked the man with burning coal eyes.

 

“It was not on purpose, if that’s what you are implying.” Gerard said and looked back at Raymond. “Did you hear what I went through for him? All the stories and gossips? Do you think that after all of this, I would harm him on purpose?”

 

“About an unrequired and banned love? Yeah, word did get here. Though I expected it from Mikes and his sweet little dude…” Raymond grinned at Mikey and bumped their shoulders together. Mikey just stared at him, at what Raymond gave up. “But the truly _devilish_ part was, at best, a bit foggy. Something about burning in Hell until the worlds end and unbelievable pain…also, there was something about getting eaten by all creatures down there.” At that last part, Raymond was smirking again, seemingly unbelieving all these, and looking sad at the same time that if the eating part was true he missed out on it, just because he was up here, eating the flesh of pretty ladies and sweet young things.

 

Gerard then touched Raymond’s arm, who suddenly went rigid, eyes closing, and, when he opened his mouth, he was screaming like he was burning in the hottest flames of Hell.

 

When Gerard released him, he looked ill and, if he had a body, he would threw up by now everything he ate in the last few hours, which was much, to be honest – a small group of children and he was just starting on that blonde girl…

 

“Most of the rumors are true.” Gerard said as he looked at Frank, who was still fast asleep, hence the screaming. Then he got up and walked to the only window in the room – a dirty panel of glass with a few marks on it, form escaping hands, but the blood dried just under the widnow told the end of the story. He looked out to the slightly less damned town but it was still designed to be destroyed, and, after taking a deep breath, he started speaking.

 

“We, Mikey – Michael – and me, we were born in a place now called England Back then it had no name, just hugs forests and fresh springs, inhabited by people far more developed than the whole of the human kind at that time. We met with them, the _Homo sapiens_ , but they treated us, our kind, as Gods, which caused us to fail and to be destroyed, as the thought of being superior to the human kind poisoned a few, then most of my kindred. We never died because of old age or illnesses, you see, Raymond, and I do believe you still remember to it, but we could be killed in battles and wars and treason, wicked wills and malice still took our lives. Before the discovery of the human kind, we lived in peace, everyone was equal and all that perfect utopia was real – because we didn’t know the meaning of Gods, we haven’t met anyone who was superior or inferior to us -, and we lived long and happy and didn’t know death. Then, when the worshipping started, came the first death – you see, the humans did not worship us as a species but separately; a small group had someone they thought was their designated God, and they loved that one person, but hated the others more. This caused the death of a young girl from my family, the hatred the humans felt for us, as they captured her and tortured her, resulting in her death. When my kind found out what happened, we didn’t know the extent of death, that this was final and nonreversible, that she was away for good. Nevertheless, when we finally figured it out, the humans responsible for it suffered a worse fate than anyone else ever since. This was our second big mistake – the first was accepting their worshipping -, as they became the first inhabitants of a place now called Hell, a place where they became the first demons, spreading hatred and pain in the world of the dead.

Then a war came, a war that destroyed the peace of our kind and showed us what the human kind was capable of. My little brother Mikey,” and Gerard turned to him and to the room, and they could see his eyes were no longer resembling burning coal or fire, but ancient forests as he was fully himself now, not just a burning soul “he led the army of our kind, as he was one of the youngest and therefore closer to _her_ , and his fury resulted in great victories over the human kind’s unprepared forces. But the killing made us lose our spirits, we became worse than those who wronged us the first time, and we were damned for an eternity. We could win all the battles, but we lose the war, as the human kind discovered the real Gods, the ones we knew of but never bothered to worship, as we never had any connection with the world of the spirits before. But now, as we met Death and became her slaves, we had a connection with the Gods, and they didn’t appreciate our indifference toward them, so they stood with the human kind, making it sure we disappear from Earth.

So we became demons, the soldiers who made most of the killing, and my dear brother was buried alive, and the humans made an enormous stone circle over the place he rested, having rituals there every year, trying to kame sure he stayed there, stayed in Hell, but humans are just too capable of murder, especially the murder of their own species, and the knowledge of why they had these rituals died out.”

 

“So I could escape, summon my brother’s soul, he made a pact with a demon, who was alive long before our kind, I think it’s even the same age as the spirit now known as God, but he was stuck in Hell, then some stupid little humans playing Gods or trying to reach Satan woke him up and got him up here, and now the rest is history.” Everyone looked at Mikey like he grew a second head when he interrupted Gerard’s story, but he just pointedly looked at the couch, where Frank was laying with open eyes and a look on his face making it clear he’s been awake for a  long time now. Gerard was staring at him with slightly open mouth and eyes young, afraid and like a forest after a springtime rain.

 

No one moved for a few long seconds, then suddenly the spirit claiming to be called Ray got up and clapped. “Well, it looks like our guest is awake. What can I get you? A-, B+, 0? Or some coffee, tea?” he was now standing closer to the couch Frank was laying on, bringing his face closer and closer, until Mikey, with the fierceness of a man leading armies into sure death took him by the neck and threw him against the opposite wall.

 

“No touching, Raymond, please” he said like nothing had happened at all. “You feeling okay there Frank? Wanna sit up?” he crouched down besides the couch, face in level with Frank’s, but he was a little bit further away than the spirit Ray had been.

 

Frank said nothing but made a move to sit up, and once he was sitting still on the old couch, staring at Mikey’s age’s version of shoes, he slowly looked up to his now looking more than alive eyes.

 

“Why?”

 

***

 

“YOU DID WHAT?! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU THINK SETTING EVERYTHING ON FIRE WAS A GOOD IDEA!? FUCK! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED YOU DUMB FUCK!”


End file.
